2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
3. How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal?
4. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational? Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological?
5. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
6. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?
7. What audiences does the film best address? Why?
8. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
9. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.
10. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.)
NOTES
Dan Barber - TED Talk - a chef that is critical of being sust in his own restaurant and just what can be accomplished with systems thinking
feed conversion ratio - conversion rates? - using sustainable proteins to feed fish in fish farming, (guessing conversion rates are how much it takes to feed an animal in order to farm it, like grass to cows and feedstock to fish)
would be surprised at how how it is for a chef to get information on the food they are sourcing in their own restaurant
"after conversation this fish tasted like chicken" - funny because growing up I could swear that every meat I ate tasted like chicken, and now I wonder if there is any logic behind that thought
talks of the best fish he ever tasted - was farmed on a completely self-sustaining farm - asks him how he would measure success? - there was an enormous flock of flamingos that would feast upon his fish, they lose (20%?) of fish and fish eggs to these birds - BUT his response was that they farm EXTENSIVELY not INTENSIVELY
so they measure their success on their health and numbers of their predators
he's talking of the farm where the fish came from and it
is completely self-sustaining - so they don't feed their fish
purifies the river that runs through it - acts like a water purification plant
measures success by the health of its predators
calls for a radically new conception of agriculture, but understands that this might be too radical
"how are you going to feed the world?" "to be honest, I don't like that question" - he explains that it comes down to the distribution of the food, not tonnage because there IS enough food available.
also hates this because it is what defines how we organize and plan our agriculture, and limits how we think on the solutions to these problems
question should be: how can we create conditions where every village in the world can feed ITSELF?
DO NOT look to the agri-food business model
look to ecology
at end mentions that he isn't the best chef - the farmers involved in molecular gastronomy
Class Discussion
labeling correctly what is organic and what isn't - this film inspires you to ask more questions
how some restaurants claiming to be farm to table when they aren't, but then other restaurants that don't advertise it actually do more
someone in class like how he wasn't settling but kept holding himself to a higher bar
ethical and seasonal eating was brought up as a way to influence the food industry and their practices
touched for a second on the issue the prices of cheap processed food versus expensive healthy food
topic of dealing with risk and loss aversion with communication
issue of food justice came up as an environmental justice issue
with how healthy tasty food is more expensive than agri-food industry
Sustainability Problems
1. Title, director and release year?
2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
3. How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal?
4. What sustainability problems does the film draw out?
Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational?
Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological?
5. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
6. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?
7. What audiences does the film best address? Why?
8. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
9. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.
10. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.)
NOTES
Dan Barber - TED Talk - a chef that is critical of being sust in his own restaurant and just what can be accomplished with systems thinking
Class Discussion